1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to trap-priming systems for floor drains. More specifically, the invention relates to a trap-priming system that supplies water to a p-trap of a floor drain by piping water from a sink faucet. The preferred priming water line to the p-trap originates from location(s) in the faucet unit that is/are between the faucet valve(s) and the faucet water outlet. This way, the trap-priming system is turned on each time the faucet is turned on, and does not require any valve other than the faucet valve or any complex systems such as pressure-sensing, solenoid, or flushometer tail piece system.
2. Related Art
Conventional floor drains, such as are used in utility rooms and including heat pump, air conditioning, and swimming pool facilities, and some bathroom and shower facilities, comprise p-traps typically directly below the floor drain hole. Such p-traps are well-known and comprise a generally horizontal, curved section of piping that holds water in the “trough” of the “p” to create a water seal between the up-stream pipe (connected to the floor hole) and the downstream pipe (connected to the sewer or other waste water system). This water seal is mandated in modern plumbing systems to prevent flow of gasses from the sewer/waste-water system to the room containing the floor drain.
In many floor-drain applications, water typically flows from the floor surface into the drain only in the case of spills, accidents, leaks, or emergencies. Therefore, the water seal in the floor drain p-trap may go for days or weeks without being replenished by such water-flow from the floor. Thus, the water seal would tend to evaporate, if not for frequent replenishment from a priming system that supplies water to the p-trap from some source other than water on the floor surface. Conventional trap-priming systems comprise complex valves and/or electronics, such as automatic primer valves (see Prim-Rite™ trap primer valves, Prime Perfect™ trap primer valves), toilet primer valve systems (see Walker Closet™ primers, for example), and various continuous or pressure-drop-activated trap seal primers (see, for example, Solo-Prime™ Electronic Trap Priming Assemblies), and/or other equipment that tends to be expensive, inconvenient to install, unreliable, and/or difficult to monitor and maintain.
The invented trap-priming system solves many or all of the above-discussed problems, by providing a simple, efficient, reliable and economic solution for floor drain p-trap priming. The preferred system uses only clean water, rather than any waste water. The preferred system may be installed as OEM, or as a retrofit kit, without any modification to a conventional faucet except to provide a hole in a portion of the faucet to access a water-containing portion of the faucet downstream of the faucet valve.